Daraine Luton, Sunday Gleaner Reporter

IF THE testimony of two inner-city youngsters are to be taken as gospel, some police are deeply involved in stolen motor vehicle rackets that have taken root in the country.

Charlesand Garthare in their early 20s. Last month, both spent two weeks in police lock-up after they tried to sell auto parts from a motor vehicle they had stolen. The men said they negotiated the sale over the telephone but were not aware that their prospective customers were cops. Despite the area being ranked as one of Jamaica's toughest ghettos, with many zinc-fence getaways, police outwitted both men and managed an arrest with few hiccups. But, what seemed like a genuine arrest to many who witnessed the men being shoved into a police service vehicle turned out to be a roast.

While refusing to be quoted in this article, one of the men said they were never charged, even though they were locked up for days. He said that after being taken to one police station earlier that day, they were later transferred to another prominent lock-up. No charges were ever laid, but the men said they were promised freedom for $200,000.

Family members came up with the funds which they paid over to the police to secure the men's release.

"It is a real problem. We don't have information to point to the extent of it, but police have been involving themselves in these corrupt practices," Deputy Superintendent of police (DSP) Dayton Henry, head of the Internal Affairs and Anti-Corruption Division, says.

Anti-corruption unit

The police anti-corruption unit was formed to combat incidence of corruption in the force. Since its inception in July last year, the unit has clipped the wings of 91 rogue cops who have been labelled traitors. While statistics could not be immediately ascertained for the kinds of corrupt practices in which police arrested have been implicated, DSP Henry says the anti-corruption unit has arrested a few police officers in motor vehicle-theft rings and are investigating others.

Earlier this year, a constable attached to the City Centre Police Station was arrested by a joint Flying Squad/Anti-Corruption team in connection with a stolen motor vehicle. This matter is now before the courts.

The JCF has never denied that corruption is taking place within its organisation. Last June, Commis-sioner Lucius Thomas openly accused his officers of corrupt practices. In a private speech to his members that was leaked to journalists, Mr. Thomas said that there are some officers who regularly tipped off criminals before raids, supplied gunmen with ammunition and recruited drug couriers to smuggle narcotics abroad.

"We have criminals among us," he said. "It is not only corporals, sergeants, and inspectors. It goes all the way up," he said.

According to police data, 32 officers were arrested for criminal violations, seven of whom were charged with drug-related offences during 1999. In September that year, then Commissioner Francis Forbes transferred the entire 91-member Special Anti-Crime Task Force because of allegations that some members were involved in unprofessional and possibly criminal conduct.

In fact, the Professional Standards Branch (PSB) of the JCF was set up to investigate reports of police abuse and corruption. According to data out of the PSB, between January and June 2006 the branch investigated 35 cases of corruption.

Nineteen of these cases were between January and March, while 16 were place in the period April to June 2006. And between January 1 and December 31, 2005, some 66 files were sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for ruling as to whether criminal action should be taken against bad cops. The DPP ruled that 42 of those police should be criminally charged, but it was unclear how many of these officers were brought in on corruption charges.

The Special Task Force on Crime report, a study chaired by former Police Commissioner Colonel Trevor MacMillan, found that some aspects of police corruption are almost endemic. The report listed accepting bribes for traffic offences, sale of gun licences and dropping of charges, including serious offences, are corrupt practices in which police participate.

On Friday, head of the PSB, Assistant Commissioner of Police Novelette Grant, told members of her team during a congratulatory party at its Ocean Boulevard offices that "a lot of people in uniform will be hell bent on helping to make trouble," as she spoke about the challenges of the year ahead.

Meanwhile, cognisant that the drive to clean up the force is far from over, DSP Henry has hinted that the battle against rogue cops is being won.

"We have a strategy that is tackling corruption in the force head on and it is working," he said.

Not their real names

Corruption fact file

Between January 1 and June 30, 2006:

69 per cent of 102 cases investigated by the PSB were unprofessional conduct and breaches of the Corruption Prevention Act.

Between January 1 and March 30, 2006:

Of the 54 reports investigated by the PSB, 66 per cent were unprofessional conduct and breaches of the Corruption Prevention Act.

• Unprofessional Conduct - 19

• Breach of Corruption Prevention Act - 19

Of files sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions for ruling between January 1 and March 30, 2006:

19 persons were charged, 10 of whom were alleged to have breached the Corruption Prevention Act.

April 1-June 30 2006

Forty-eight reports were received and investigated, 66 per cent of which were a combination of corruption and unprofessional conduct.

Cases investigated by Professional Standards bRanch

2005: 22 cases - 35 arrests

2006: 43 cases - 56 arrests